Friday, April 16, 2010

Saskatchewan Takes the Lead

The Saskatchewan government may scrap its Human Rights Tribunal in favour of having rights cases heard by the courts, the province's justice minister said yesterday.

Justice Minister Don Morgan said the province could dissolve the tribunal and turn its cases over to the Court of Queen's Bench -- something that has been suggested by David Arnot, chief commissioner of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.

"This is a recommendation that's come forward and is a recommendation that, in fact, may have some merit. There are criticisms that the Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal may be seen as too close to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission," Mr. Morgan said in the legislature.

The commission is the body that receives and investigates human rights complaints and, in some cases, refers a complaint to the tribunal, a separate body that conducts a hearing.

"I think from an optics point of view it would not be a bad idea to have a separation," Mr. Morgan said...

I think from an optics point of view persecuting comedians and the likes of Steyn and Levant makes Canada look like a laughingstock and Canadians look like "a little people, a silly people," in the sage words of Lawrence of Arabia. I think from an optics p.o.v., it's time to take a hard look at how widely and wildly the "human rights" apparatus has strayed from its original purpose, and have the courage to admit to ourselves that it has become a liability, something that trashes human rights--real ones--instead of upholdling them.